MLB Insider Believes Blue Jays Are Strong Match for Diamondbacks' Star Pitchers
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The Toronto Blue Jays have become strong contenders in the American League as they hold the top Wild Card spot with a 38-30 record and sit only 4.5 games back from the New York Yankees in the AL East.
While shortstop Bo Bichette has been seen as a strong trade chip, the Blue Jays have played themselves into buying rather than selling at the trade deadline.
They have the third-best wRC+ in baseball (121) since May.
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In that same 38-game stretch, Toronto’s starting rotation has a 4.43 ERA that ranks No. 22 in the MLB.
That makes acquiring a starting pitcher a priority.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) sees them as a strong match for two of the Arizona Diamondbacks stars should they look to offload impending free agents Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.
Gallen has been with the Diamondbacks since he was traded to them from the Miami Marlins in 2019, where he became a first-time All-Star in 2023 and helped Arizona reach the World Series.
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He’s had a rougher start to his 2025 campaign through 14 starts. He carries a 5.15 ERA with 75 strikeouts to 36 walks in 80.1 innings pitched. His walks are the third-highest in the league.
A lot of players benefit from a change of scenery, however, and a midseason trade could spark a turnaround for Gallen.
He also has crucial playoff experience that would be valuable in the Blue Jays’ rotation.
So does Merrill Kelly, who was also a part of the 2023 World Series run.
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While they lost to the Texas Rangers, Kelly was stellar in his four starts. He pitched a 2.25 ERA with 28 strikeouts to eight walks in 24 innings.
In Gallen’s six postseason starts, he posted a 4.54 ERA with 24 strikeouts to 14 walks in 33.2 innings pitched.
Kelly is also having a much stronger campaign this year in his 14 starts with a 3.18 ERA, 79 strikeouts to 21 walks and 82 innings pitched.
Kelly is on a two-year, $18 million deal with a club option of $7 million for 2025.
Gallen is a perfect rental candidate on a one-year, $13.5 million deal, but Kelly could be the better trade asset and fit for Toronto’s starting rotation.
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Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com